Before joining the d.school at Stanford University, Michael Dearing spent nearly seven years at eBay serving most recently as Senior Vice President & General Merchandise Manager. In that role, he led category management, product marketing, seller development, eBay Stores, and direct-to-consumer marketing for eBay North America. While at eBay, Michael and his colleagues were also responsible for the launch and growth of many new merchandise categories, and new businesses such as Buy-it-Now, the listings upgrade business, eBay Stores, and ProStores. Prior to eBay, Michael held leadership positions at Bain & Company, Filene's Basement, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE-DIS), and Industrial Shoe Warehouse.

Michael holds an AB in Economics with a focus in economic history from Brown University, and an MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School. His current interests include process design for new product development, "productizing" emerging technologies, web-based businesses, product marketing, and pricing.

Michael is a member of the Economic History Association and the Business History Conference. When he's not at the d.school, Michael enjoys working with small companies on issues of strategy and marketing, growing fruits and vegetables, hiking, and playing with his dogs.

If you're seeking inspiration, you will find it here from Humane Society Silicon Valley's President, Christine Benninger. She describes the organization as she inherited it as a cesspool, rife with drug dealing staff, disorderly management, sour community relations, and cruel animal care. She recalls her quickly orchestrated six-month plan to keep the organization afloat - and how dire circumstances made her monumentally more creative and successful.

How do you separate the missionaries from the mercenaries and weed through the overly-passionate? In the non-profit sector, it can be a challenge, says Christine Benninger, President of the Humane Society Silicon Valley. It's a difficult balance between personal conviction and compromise, and Benninger points out why it's important to find talent that's both mission-driven and able to work in a team.

It's not just about spaying and neutering anymore. Changing the role of the animal shelter to completely support the human/animal bond is a huge undertaking for Humane Society Silicon Valley's President Christine Benninger, but one that's critical for the longevity and livelihood of the pets and animals served. Her innovative vision revamps the entire role of the animal shelter, including a pet-friendly community center and numerous family events. The result is a sociological shift in the integration of her organization as it weaves itself into the fiber of its constituent's daily routine.

Whether you're running a for-profit or non-profit enterprise, the price point is crucial - and cheaper is not always better. The less people pay, the less value that's attributed, discovered Christine Benninger, President of the Humane Society Silicon Valley, and her organization decided to raise the prices of animal adoption four-fold in the hopes that clients would feel they're getting a better product, and that they'd be more likely to keep it. Did customers take their business elsewhere? Hardly. Despite having the highest adoption prices in the county, the HSSV showed a ten percent increase in adoptions, with half as many returns.

We may not always feel comfortable asking for money, but it's a crucial component of a non-profit enterprise's success. But don't think of it as requesting a handout, says Christine Benninger, Humane Society Silicon Valley's President; think of it as sharing an opportunity. People love being a part of your mission, she says, and it business-critical to keep your operations afloat.